From majestic brass to sweeping strings, someone has to keep all of the British pomp and pageantry in tempo, and the man who will lead the orchestra on Saturday is no stranger to royal affairs.
Charlotte, N. C. — Music is a major part of any royal ceremony and the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be no exception.From majestic brass to sweeping strings, someone has to keep all of the British pomp and pageantry in tempo, and the man who will lead the orchestra on Saturday is no stranger to royal affairs.One week after wrapping another season with the Charlotte Symphony, Christopher Warren-Green will be back in his native Britain for a repeat royal engagement that he admits came as a surprise.“I didn’t think I was going to be asked for this one, because of course I did Prince William and Catherine’s as well. So, I’ve now got a hat trick of royal weddings and I was delighted, absolutely delighted, when I got the call and it’s a great honor,” Warren-Green said. &bullet; Charlotte Symphony director to conduct orchestra at royal weddingJust as he did for William and Kate at Westminster Abbey in 2011, Maestro Warren-Green will conduct the orchestra that adds British pomp and pageantry to the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at St. George’s Chapel. This time, perhaps, with an American nod for the bride.Warren-Green, who also leads the London Chamber Orchestra, also conducted at the wedding of Price Charles to the Duchess of Cornwall in 2005.He says the Prince of Wales is an avid admirer of classical music and a heavy influencer of royal wedding repertoire.“For this wedding, I think Meghan Markle’s had a big input, which is how it should be, and I’m pretty certain that the Prince of Wales has had a hand in it as well,” Warren-Green said. &bullet; North Carolina’s bishop Curry to preach homily at royal wedding ceremonyA royal wedding with its processionals and procedure is very different than leading the Charlotte Symphony in Mozart on stage.On top of a musical score with multiple moving parts, Warren-Green has to keep the tempo just right so no one is left standing in silence or waiting for a tune to end.“I have a fair idea of how they walk on royal occasions, so I’ve walked up and down the aisle of St. George’s Chapel in Windsor more times than anybody in the history of Windsor Castle, and made sure that those timings are right,” Warren-Green said.When gauging how things go, Warren-Green says he hopes for a review like the one following William and Kate’s wedding.“The Prince of Wales was talking to a member of a royal family from somewhere else and he broke off and sort of shouted to everybody around him. He said, ‘and this is the man, this is the man,’ and he said ‘Christopher, everyone’s talking about the music,’ and that was a big thrill.